


Seventeen

by neabee



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-26 00:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12047298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neabee/pseuds/neabee
Summary: based off the song Seventeen from the Heathers musical! Eleven and Mike are in high school in this but just so it being based off the song would make sense lol





	Seventeen

_Fine, we’re damaged_

_Really damaged_

 

Mike knew a lot had happened to them. To Hawkins. Their whole group of friends had experienced it on a personal level.

 

_But that does not make us wise_

_We’re not special, we’re not different_

 

Mike wished it felt like nothing had changed. Or nothing was going to fall apart at any moment. Mike often found himself wishing none of it had ever happened, or at least none of the bad things.

 

_We don’t choose who lives or dies_

_Let’s be normal, see bad movies_

 

He didn’t understand what was so difficult about being normal, what was so hard that El couldn’t just pretend to be a normal teen with him.

 

_Sneak a beer and watch tv_

_We’ll bake brownies or go bowling_

 

All he wanted to do was the cliche relationship things with her. There was some wall though that he couldn’t figure out how to break down.

 

_Don’t you want a life with me? Can't we be seventeen?_

 

He just wanted to act like normal teens, but deep down Mike knew they would never be able to.

 

_That’s all I want to do_

_If you could let me in_

 

But he wanted to understand. El was so guarded, maybe even more now than when they first met.

 

_I could be good with you_

_People hurt us_

 

Mike knew El had been hurt, and maybe not exactly how, or for how long, or even by who. But Mike wanted to make things better and let her know that he was going to be there for and never hurt her.

 

_Or they vanish_

_And you’re right that really blows_

 

Everyone they knew felt affected by the disappearance of Will and Eleven, and the upside down. Mike knew it was selfish and felt guilty for it, but he thought he went through the worst with Will, El, and later learning about Nancy’s experiences.

 

_But we let go, take a deep breath_

_Then go buy some summer clothes_

 

He really just wanted it all to stop though. So much was changing, and had already changed. He tried but didn’t understand why they couldn’t just take their minds off everything.

 

_We'll go camping, play some poker_

_And we’ll eat some chili fries_

 

For awhile after everything had happened even just hanging out in Mike’s basement felt weird. It felt like they were all waiting for the worst. In Mike’s opinion that feeling never really left him. He still feels the need to protect everyone, now more than ever.

 

_Maybe prom night_

_Maybe dancing_

 

El had been gone too long after the demogorgon to go to the Snowflake Ball. Mike didn’t know how to tell her he would’ve dance anywhere with her even if there was no music.

 

_Don't stop looking in my eyes (your eyes)_

_Can't we be seventeen_

 

Deep down Mike knew that they all had each other. They were all each other’s support. Some more than others, but at times Mike didn’t know if El felt the gravity of how much he needed her.

 

_Is that so hard to do?_

_If you could let me in_

 

Over time after that winter, things slowly got better and as close back to normal as they were probably ever going to be. There were still some hard days when he saw Will’s eyes get a bit glazed over staring at nothing remembering the chill and darkness of that horrible place. And Mike saw El’s short glances toward the spot her fort had been, that had long been taken down after Mike’s mom didn’t think it was good for him, and the sadness that lived in her eyes when she caught Mike’s eyes looking at her, and she always smiled to assure him that she was fine.

 

_I could be good with you_

_Let us be seventeen_

 

Even after all of this, Mike dreamed of being a normal teenager with El. Running away to a different place with her and making sure they were happy.

 

_If we still got the right_

_So what’s it gonna be_

 

He didn’t know if they could though. There was never a tell tale sign that everything was alright, no burst of white light over Hawkins like in the movies.

 

_I wanna be with you (Wanna be with you)_

_I wanna be with you tonight_

 

In little ways though Mike tried to remind El every day that he wanted to be with her in whatever way that was. He didn’t care. He just wanted to be near her and make sure they were ok.

 

_Yeah we’re damaged, Badly damaged_

 

They would both occasionally wake up with nightmares. Her at the Byer’s house where she lived now with Joyce, Jonathan, Will, and even Hopper had moved in. Mike at his house. They would each call each other on their walkie talkies just to hear each other’s voices.

 

_But your love’s too good to lose_

_Hold me tighter_

 

When it was just the two of them in Mike’s basement watching some movie for the fifteenth time Mike would look down at the girl in his arms and smile softly, and pull her closer and start watching the movie again feeling comforted. And El would look up at Mike and nuzzle closer into him feeling the same.

 

_Even closer_

_I’ll stay if I’m what you choose_

 

Back when El first came back she was really nervous that the boys would want nothing to do with her, but especially Mike.

 

_Can we be seventeen? (If I am what you choose)_

 

Mike immediately ran to her and hugged her tight though sniffling, and whispered to her that he was glad she was back.

 

 _If we've still got the right (_ _Because you’re the one I choose)_

 

El knew then that she and Mike were going to be more than that concept Dustin and Lucas had told her about before she disappeared. More than friends. Somehow. She didn’t really know the words to describe it, but she felt there was something more than friends in this world.

 

 _(You’re the one I choose)_ _You’re the one I choose_.

 

Mike and El worked together, with the help of their friends. And everyone slowly healed from that one week of winter. All the boys make sure to say goodbye to each other and to El before they leave anywhere, and Mike and El hug a little tighter each time they say goodbye. They may not be entirely normal because of what happened, but they know they’ll always make sure to come back to each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. This is the first thing i've written in a long time and one of my only ventures outside of the 1d fandom lol so sorry if it's rough!
> 
> you can find me at muffinmanhoran.tumblr.com or itmegaygrump.tumblr.com
> 
> :)))


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